Category Archives: Egypt events

Manchester Museum has recently participated in a project to recreate ancient objects for children’s television. The TV series Teacup Travels tells a series of adventure stories, which aim at opening the door to ancient worlds and civilisations to young viewers. Each 14 minute episode revolves around Great Aunt Lizzie telling her fictional adventures in Ancient Egypt, Imperial China, Roman Italy and the Celtic Lands of Iron Age Britain. Each story features a replica of a historic artefact from museums across the UK.

Great Aunt Lizzie’s wondrous stories are told to her niece Charlotte and her nephew Elliot, who, whilst cradling one of Great Aunt Lizzie’s special teacups, can’t help but imagine themselves long ago and far away, in Great Aunt Lizzie’s old battered boots.

Manchester Museum worked with the makers of Teacup Travels to recreate historical artefacts on display at the museum: an Ancient Egyptian brick mould and wooden horse toy. Painstakingly re-made by highly experienced and skilled prop-makers, two unique stories were inspired by these objects from the collection at Manchester Museum.

Can Charlotte replace a broken brick mould before the Pharoah’s architect arrives?

Will Charlotte be able to convince a carpenter that people will love the wooden horse toys she makes?

Replica of our Roman Period wooden horse (Acc. no. 6974)

The production team has been truthful to the original artefacts, ensuring that they look the part through a detailed process of recording how the items were found, the state they were in, how they were originally used so that the replica in the series could be portrayed accurately by the cast.

In support of the show, CBeebies has built a website to help children go on a journey of discovery. From watching the show on television, to clicking online, they can easily find out about the ancient artefacts by downloading a printable PDF of the Teacup Travels “museum map” which features an introduction to each of the artefacts – where they can be seen, how they were used and so on.

To mark the 10th Anniversary of the online Certificate in Egyptology, Egyptology Online @ Manchester is organising a two-day event at The University of Manchester on Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th July 2014. Speakers have all been associated with Egyptology Online, either as lecturers or examiners (or, in some cases, both). The two day event will end with a buffet reception. The event is open to anyone with an interest in Egyptology.

What was life like for a Pharaoh? What did he wear? What did he eat? How involved was he in political decisions? And did he fight alongside his troops on the battlefield? In this talk, Dr Garry J. Shaw explores Egyptian palace life, the king’s daily duties, royal health, family, entertainment and sport, as well as the pharaoh’s role as war leader on campaign. Approaching the pharaohs as people, rather than as untouchable, ideal gods, we will become closer to the mortals who once wore the Double Crown of Upper and Lower Egypt.

Garry Shaw

Dr Garry J. Shaw received his PhD in Egyptology from the University of Liverpool, where he also taught Egyptian history. He has since lectured at the American University in Cairo, the Bloomsbury Summer School, and is a course tutor for the Egypt Exploration Society, London. He is the author of The Pharaoh: Life at Court and on Campaign (Thames and Hudson, 2012), writes on Egyptian heritage for The Art Newspaper, and is managing editor of the magazine Al Rawi: Egypt’s Heritage Review. His newest book, The Egyptian Myths, A Guide to the Ancient Gods and Legends (Thames and Hudson), is out now.

Everything in its Place: New Views of the Elite Predynastic cemetery at Hierakonpolis.

Monday 10th November, 7:30pm

Pendulum Hotel, Sackville Street, Manchester, M1 3AL

All welcome

Hierakonpolis is famous as the home of the Palette of King Narmer, but on-going work at the site is revealing the tombs of kings some 500 years earlier, who expressed their power not only in the size and wealth of their graves set with above-ground architectural compounds, but also with the people and intriguing array of wild and domestic animals they took with them to the afterlife. This unique collection of animals gives insight into the physical reality behind early symbols of power, while the architectural settings in which the burials are arranged is revealing how the early Egyptians understood and ordered their world. This lecture will present our current thoughts on this remarkable cemetery modified as required by the new discoveries to be made in the January-March 2014 season of excavation at the site.

Dr. Renée Friedman is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley in Egyptian Archaeology and has worked at many sites throughout Egypt since 1980.With special interest in the Predynastic, Egypt’s formative period, in 1983 she joined the team working at Hierakonpolis, and went on to become the director of the Hierakonpolis Expedition in 1996, a title she still holds. Currently the Heagy Research Curator of Early Egypt at the British Museum, she is the author of many scholarly and popular articles about all aspects of the fascinating site of Hierakonpolis.

A workshop organised by National Museums Scotland and PICS 5995 CNRS projectThursday, October 16th, 2014, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh

Gold is inextricably linked with ancient Egypt’s wealth, beliefs, and traditions. However, surprisingly few studies have been conducted on Egyptian jewellery of the Bronze Age and little is known about goldsmithing practices. A day workshop hosted by National Museums Scotland and sponsored in collaboration with project PICS 5995 CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), entitled Analytical study of Bronze Age Egyptian gold jewellery, will examine the archaeological context, symbolism, and production processes of gold jewellery excavated in royal and elite burials of the Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Periods (c. 2055–1550BC).

Registration is free but places are limited and advance booking is required. Please book HERE or call 0131 247 4073. For enquiries, please contact Lore Troalen at l.troalen@nms.ac.uk

ProgrammeSeminar Room, Learning Centre (Level 4), National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh10:15 Registration 10:45 OpeningJane CARMICHAEL, Director of Collections, National Museums Scotland11:00 Procurement to adornment: archaeological perspectives on Egyptian gold and gemstone miningIan SHAW, Reader in Egyptian Archaeology, University of Liverpool, Co-Director of Gurob Harem Palace Project11:25 Analytical strategies for the study of Egyptian jewelleryMaria F GUERRA, Director of Research at CNRS & head of project PICS 599511:50 Harageh Tomb 72 and the symbolism of fish pendantsMargaret MAITLAND, Curator of the Ancient Mediterranean, National Museums Scotland12:10 Analysis of jewellery from Harageh Tomb 72Lore TROALEN, Analytical Scientist, National Museums Scotland12:30 Discussion 12:45 Lunch (please make your own arrangements)13:45 The jewellery equipment of Middle Bronze age burials in EgyptWolfram GRAJETZKI, Honorary Senior Research Associate, University College London14:10 Amuletic jewellery from Riqqeh Tomb 124 in the Manchester MuseumCampbell PRICE, Curator of Egypt and the Sudan, Manchester Museum, University of Manchester14:35 Analysis of jewellery from Riqqeh (title tba)Matthew PONTING, Senior Lecturer in Archaeomaterials, University of Liverpool15:00 Tea/coffee (provided)15:20 The jewellery of the Qurnah ‘queen’: craftsmanship and adornment in the Second Intermediate PeriodLore TROALEN and Margaret MAITLAND, National Museums Scotland15:50 Discussion16:10 Close

The priesthood dominated and permeated almost every aspect of ancient Egyptian society, and yet there have been very few studies of their impact on this civilisation.

Professor David is currently undertaking a detailed study of the priesthood and the contribution it made to life in Egypt, and this lecture will explore one important aspect of the work – how the priests functioned for over three thousand years as the main practitioners of medicine and magic.

It will reveal how biomedical studies on human remains and the literary sources relating to the priesthood and medical treatment are helping to augment our knowledge of this very important group in Egyptian society.

Professor Rosalie David, OBE, PhD, FRSA, is Emeritus Professor of Egyptology at The University of Manchester and until her retirement in 2012, she was Director of the KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology at The University of Manchester. She was formerly Keeper of Egyptology at the Manchester Museum.

She is the author of over 30 books and many articles and was awarded the OBE for services to Egyptology.

A talk by Dr Campbell Price , Curator of Egypt and the Sudan at Manchester Museum, in conjuction with the newly-opened “Secret Egypt” exhibition in Perth.

Campbell’s work involves caring for one of the finest collections of Ancient Egyptian Mummies in the UK. He was also responsible for translating the hieroglyphic inscription on Perth Museum and Art Galleries own mummy resulting in the discovery of her name – Takherheb. This evening marks the launch of our fundraising campaign to help conserve Takherheb.